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30 Jan 2009
Pausing to Reflect on Sergeant Kyle J. Harrington
It has been a while since I’ve posted anything. You see, on January 24th, SGT Kyle J. Harrington died at the age of 24 in service of his country. It was a tragic accident, and SGT Harrington is truly a Fallen Hero.
The internal conflict for me recently is that my blog messages are always upbeat and positive about the Army. I do enjoy serving my country, and I’m proud to be here, but the reality of military operations is that we are at war, and people get hurt.
Sergeant Kyle Harrington’s loss was felt across the camp. He was a bright light, and spread his light through a positive attitude even in toughest times. He worked in the maintenance team where I work and our unit here sincerely misses him.
We are grateful for his time with us, and our prayers are with his family. Our memorial service was deeply moving, and there were similar services in Tallil, Iraq where his unit is headquartered, as well as Ft Lewis, Washington and his final resting place in Swansea, MA.


His family printed this obituary in the Massachusetts Herald News:
Sgt. Kyle J. Harrington
Sgt. Kyle J. Harrington, age 24 of Fort Lewis, Washington formerly of Swansea, died January 24, 2009 while serving his country in Iraq. Husband of Faith A. (Ryan) Harrington of Fort Lewis, WA, father of Joshua Dennis Harrington and Kaylee Elizabeth Harrington, son of Kathleen (Blow) (Seligman) Harrington of Fall River and Dennis Harrington and his wife Jodi of Cranston, RI, brother of Elizabeth J. Harrington of Fall River, son-in-law of Debra and Bill Ryan, grandson of Irene J. Harrington of San Andreas, CA., also survived by several aunts, uncles, cousins and three nieces. Grandson of the late Lionel and Hilma Blow and Fred Joseph Harrington.
Kyle was born in Newport, RI. on July 17, 1984. Growing up he spent many years in cub scouts and playing a variety of sports. He was a 2003 graduate of Joseph Case High School. He then joined the Army as a mechanic in pursuit of a better life for his young family. During his 4 and a ½ years in the army he served in Operation Iraqi Freedom for 21 months. He had a passion for rock music and movies of all genres. Kyle attracted others to want to be around him with his charming attributes and he formed many lasting friendships, including those with his brothers in arms. He was a devoted husband and father, spending most of his time with his family. Kyle had a very close relationship with his parents and sister despite moving cross country with his wife and children. Although he had a large family that is scattered, they managed to stay close with reunions and during holidays. His entire family was very important to him. He was a man that any mother would be proud to call her own. He will be terribly missed by all the lives he has touched with his presence.
His funeral service will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2009 at 10 AM in the WARING-SULLIVAN HOME OF MEMORIAL TRIBUTE AT BIRCHCREST, 189 Gardners Neck Rd., Swansea. Visiting hours Fri. 4-8 pm. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions in his honor to the Kyle Joseph Harrington Memorial Trust Fund, PO Box 82, Swansea, MA 02777
Army Deployment , General
posted by  henry at  20:43 | permalink | trackbacks [458]



21 Jan 2009
Working like a Dog!

So here's me next to Jack and his British handler. Jack checks through incoming non-military trucks and makes sure they're safe to come into the camp. He's just one of many steps each vehicle goes through. Notice the Arabic translation of numbers behind us- they write down each license coming into the base, and that means translating the numbers!

As a convoy catcher, I get to see Jack in action now & then, and unlike a police dog, these working dogs are completely ok with friendly contact.

Of course, this makes me miss my own dog, Zoe, who loves to play fetch with a frisbee or tennis ball. It's a different kind of work, but still work!
 
ACI , Army Deployment , Family , General
posted by  henry at  13:36 | permalink | trackbacks [995]



16 Jan 2009
I miss my CHU!
You don't know how good you've got it, until you wind up without it.
Here's my new living space in Basra.

We have about a 5 foot by 7 foot living area, fortified with masonry bricks on all sides, and sandbags overhead our matress. That's my mattress, with my sleeping bag on top, in the lower right of the photo. This is the way the British have designed it, and I suspect the US will make some CHANGES as we move in and the British head home. For one thing, I've banged my head too many times! It must be what it's like to sleep in a submarine!
Our tent is a single layer of canvas, but we do have warm air (or cool A/C) pumped in. Still, when temperatures dip below freezing, the canvas is no match, and inside temperatures reach the low 40s. Lately, it's been better, though, around 53.
You'll see me wishing for these temperatures come this summer, though!
And notice my t-shirt: GO HOKIES!
 
ACI , Army Deployment , Family , General
posted by  henry at  17:07 | permalink | comments [11] | trackbacks [171]



14 Jan 2009
A Banner Year?
The Cub Scouts of Pack 145 made a very patriotic banner for me as I left Christiansburg. I've taken it upon myself to not only display it in my room or office everywhere I've been, but to also grab area-appropriate photos that show where the banner has traveled. I'm presenting the ones in Southwest Asia-- previous posts have shown Aberdeen Proving Grounds and Fort Lewis.

Pack 145 Banner in Camp Buehring, Kuwait
Here we are at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. Our first stop after we touched down in Kuwait City. I'm standing next to a custom-painted, but short, T-Wall. The 287th Sustainment Brigade left their mark here just 3 weeks before us, with an outline of Kansas and the 287th unit patch.
Camp Buehring was stark: right in the middle of the desert, without a plant of any sort to be seen. We were impressed with a PX the size of a small K-Mart, and various shops, to include a 24-hour Starbucks. OK- maybe Tallil will be even better, since it's got a bigger mission and more soldiers, right? right??


Cub Pack 145 Banner at Camp Adder, Tallil, Iraq
Next, I was in Tallil. Camp Adder, specifically. There were lots of well-adorned T-Walls, including this very patriotic tribute to the fallen soldiers from Camp Adder. A BIG salute to them and their families.
Camp Adder is where I had a CHU for a few days (see "What's up with CHU" last month), and also where the 287th is headquartered.
There was a PX that was about the size of a Dollar General Store. They had a few uniform items, and about 1/2 of the floorspace dedicated to food. As if anyone could go hungry in the Army! Seriously- the DFAC is FREE! But soldiers were buying the stuff. The one coffee shop was run by the chapel, and didn't fit the bill for the connisours in our group (I'm not a coffee drinker, at least not enough to care!). They even had the Camp Adder swimming pool (click to see it!) We enjoyed nice game rooms and various eating choices- including a grab-n-go cafe (breakfast & lunch to go, part of the military-provided meals). Not as nice as Buehring, but not too bad. At least there was Internet available (but slow)!

Cub Pack 145 Banner at Camp Bucca, Iraq
Camp Bucca is home to probably the largest detention facility in country. It was on the convoy route to Basra, so we spent the night there. It also happens to be the location my brother, Charles Bass, spent his tour in Iraq, caring for detainees' mental health. Here I'm outside the Camp Chapel, photographed by a chaplain's aid. Their PX was just a tad bigger than a Seven-Eleven. They have a nice outdoor stage, though, and several shops, including coffee, in an outdoor mall arrangement.

Basra was next, and my current destination. I haven't found a great place to take my banner photo, though. I can show you where it hangs in my office!

Basra is in transition, from British to US. To keep the analogy going, the PX is the size of, well, maybe the impulse rack in your grocery store check-out line! They've reduced stock on all things as the US PX is about to set up in the next few months.
Luckily, I was warned and I brought just about everything needed.
 
ACI , Army Deployment , Family , General
posted by  henry at  16:16 | permalink | trackbacks [484]



12 Jan 2009
The Convoy
It occured to me during the ride up that during Vietnam, the defining small-unit tactic was the wedge-shaped formation, moving through the jungles of Viet Nam. It is a formation tested by time and adapted for the terrain of where we were fighting. Its design minimizes casualties, maximizes firepower, and provides the greatest communications within the squad (shoot, move and communicate tenants).

So what''s the defining tactic of Iraq? Certainly the prior part of the war was all about visiting the local neighborhoods, making contact with the sheik, and ferreting out those who would do harm with the US. But in the current phase, as we step back and the Iraqis self-govern more & more, I see that our defining tactic is the combat logistics patrol, CLP. Well, actually, beginning January 1st, 2009, we now call it the convoy. Is it a throwback to the 1970's CB radio fad? Sorta! It's the primary means we move all supplies around the country. One officer here uses this quote on the bottom of his emails:
No Mission without the Logistician.

And what's my role, as a Liaison Officer in Basra? Well, I've started calling myself a convoy catcher! Among other things, I make sure that those logistical missions are greeted at the gate, escorted into a staging yard, properly downloaded and uploaded with their backhaul mission. We make sure the crews get fed (hot meals at their trucks, often, to keep things moving along), then we whisk them to the transient tents and get them bedded down. As they wake up, we ensure the vehicles that need service are fixed quickly, top of their fuel, and speed them on their way to the next destination. Sometimes, we do a "turn and burn" - the mission length doesn't require rest, so they drop their load, upload our outgoing, and move out quickly.

It would make a great video, but here's the real grabber: this all happens at night, in the dark. It's a well-coreagraphed orchestra, with many band members. The hereos in this operation are the truck drivers and their gunner escorts. They remain vigilant and sharp over long hauls, constantly communicating and ready for anything. The outstanding equipment provided by our US industrial base doesn't hurt either: uparmored HMMWV's, MRAPs, ASV's, armored tractor-trailers all make a formidable wall of mobile combat power.

I'm proud to be a part of it!
 
Army Deployment , General
posted by  henry at  15:24 | permalink | trackbacks [288]





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